Fout Works to Revive Rock Island Soccer

Bob Fout is a man with a dream. He believes that Rock Island is lacking in his favorite sport and he is trying to make a difference. He wants so see Rock Island soccer grow.

Fout has started two traveling soccer teams in the hope that by doing so, the community he lives in, the community he grew up in, will embrace his sport like they do others.

“We lose a lot of players to baseball and football season. The kids who want to play all year go to Moline and East Moline to play in their clubs,” Fout said.

Fout selected traveling teams so they could play competitive soccer. He wanted the more talented kids in the Park and Recreation leagues to see what was waiting for them when they reach high school.

His teams are broken up into under-12 and under-10 and they play in the ILLOWA league under the name of the Rock Island Danes. Many times just to play they have to compete against kids that are older than they are, Fout points out.

With all of those obstacles in front of him, why would Fout want to undertake this project?

“The kids look up to me. I get to be a role model and I find it rewarding. I know that I may have steered a couple of kids off of the wrong path,” Fout explains.

Fout’s credentials include playing soccer throughout his whole life. He explains that when he was in high school Rock Island didn’t even have a soccer team. After high school he played in a tournament with the Fort Worth Strikers.

“I was just trying to get noticed,” Fout said.

He tore two tendons during that tournament, effectively ending his playing career. Fout decided if he could no longer play, then he would promote the sport. His way to do that was to create these teams.

The teams get funds in a variety of ways. This past season Fout’s boss at Quad-City Freight Service, Robert Doran, donated the entry fee so the team could compete in the league. Fout has the players pay for their own uniforms and they sometimes receive donations. Fout also says he invests “a couple of hundred dollars” of his own money every season for equipment to practice with.

“I would like it to become a club like Moline and East Moline. I would like to have it turn into a feeder program for the Rock Island School System,” Fout said about his dream.

Cory Crandall is the current head soccer coach at Rock Island High School. His feelings fall right in line with Fout’s.

“Bob Fout is definitely right. The lack of feeder system kills Rock Island Soccer. We have had some talented teams in the past, but the lack of team chemistry is the difference in being a successful high school team. These kids don’t play together in the off season and that hurts Rocky Soccer.”

Bob Swanson, Athletic Director of Rock Island High School, was glad to hear that someone was out there taking up the cause of soccer.

“I am gratified by people like Bob. Generally, what happens is someone starts coaching because their kid is in it and they stop when their child moves to high school. We then have to wait until the next talented parent comes along to start the cycle all over again. I would love to see us get something going but that takes a long term commitment. My guess would be that in Moline and East Moline if you go back into the history of their programs that you would find a few people in the beginning who just wouldn’t let that program die.”

“Bob gives my son that passion about soccer. He gives encouragement. My son started with the Park Board and found it fun but not challenging. Bob is the next step up,” Stacy Yeader said. Yeader’s son Brandon plays on the under-10 team.

“Bob coaches at every single game, and when he is not coaching he is refereeing. That says a lot. Bob’s just wonderful and he’s really great with kids,” Yeader adds.

Other parents also love Fout’s enthusiasm.

“He’s a very good coach. At practice he’s almost one of the kids. He never gets down and always has a positive outlook,” Bill Polito said. Jake Polito has played under Fout’s tutelage for the last six years.

“Jake just loves him. He has taught Jake everything about soccer. He’s more than a coach, he really befriends these kids. He is Rock Island Soccer right now,” Polito said.

Criterium switches gears for 2007 race

The Quad-Cities Criterium will be changing speeds for 2007. Highlighting these changes will be the moving of the feature men’s and women’s races to the final two spots of the day. In addition, the prize pool for the men’s feature race has grown to $10,000 in order to attract better riders. They have even added a new title sponsor, Criterium Financial.

Returning on its familiar Memorial Day space, The Criterium will feature past favorites that include the big wheel and tricycle race for kids ages 2 to 5 and men’s masters race for those ages 50 and over. The course is wired for sound so spectators can listen to play by play of each race as it happens. The course still retains its familiar hourglass pattern with the start/finish line at 2^nd Avenue and 18^th Street in Rock Island. Vendors will be on hand to provide traditional festival foods as well as sub sandwiches and salads.

Spectators can find parking at the parking ramp at 3^rd Ave and 17^th St. Additional parking can be found at the two big lots on 20^th St. between 1^st and 3^rd Ave.

Teams will compete in 11 different races throughout the day. Each race is customized by gender, age, and ability. The day starts with two juniors races and advances throughout the day.

The men’s feature race moves to 4 p.m. and will have riders from several professional teams, including Jelly Belly, Bianchi Grand Prix and Athletes by Design. The women’s race, starting at 2:30 will have participants from Team Kenda Tire and the Mercy/Specialized. Also, members of the DICE team, a local racing team, will also be competing in several events.

Another new wrinkle to this year’s feature race is the addition of “Hot Spot Sprints”.

“Hot Spot Sprints are three races in a race and will include a total purse of $1000,” Donald L. Miller Jr., race director, said.

“Additionally, juniors ages 10 to 14 will have a separate race. The hospitality tent has been moved to increase spectator viewing on the start/finish line,” Miller adds.

Riders come from all over to compete in The Criterium. While the majority of them hail from the Midwest, this is clearly more than a local race.

“We have had riders from nearly every state in the US, plus riders from all over the cycling world, which generally does not include countries in Africa or Asia,” Miller said.

Returning to defend his title is last year’s Category 5 winner, Derek Cassady of Clinton.

“I believe the best strategy for winning the Quad-Cities Criterium is going on the attack. The course is perfectly suited for the attacking rider with its hour-glass shape that includes lots of corners. If a rider can manage to get some distance away from the field, the out of sight, out of mind mentality can come over the field. This is just the sort of opportunity that an attacking rider can take advantage of and pull off a win.”

Some people, though, are not as willing to talk about their plans.

“That would be telling,” Debbie Dust, of Team Kenda Tire said. “But rest assured, our team has a plan.”

Sometimes, it’s the race itself that attracts them. This is Waukon, Iowa’s Lee Venteicher’s 10^th year racing at The Criterium. Why does he like coming here?

“The best part about this race is that with the corners coming quickly one after another it is hard for the pack to move as efficiently around the course as a single rider. Combine that with an excited crowd lining the whole course and you have a great situation for motivating a breakaway. And, nothing is more fun than a good breakaway,” Venteicher said.

According to The Criterium’s officials, winning requires “tactical skills, bike handling, strategy, sprint speed, and a little luck. Cycling is a team sport that requires the support of the team to win.”

The crowd is the chain that keeps The Criterium moving. Criterium officials say that the participants report that this a favorite event because of the screaming fans. And that’s because of the excitement.

“It’s exciting to watch with the colorful jerseys, getting close to riders and seeing riders at speeds of 35 mph plus. The victories are always tempered with a few crashes. And by the way, no admission charge,” Miller said.

With these new gears, The Criterium may not have to hit the brakes for some time.

Ann's Angle

Finding the right job is like finding the right angle on a news story. When you get it right, you know it. And for one Quad City Times reporter, that angle is health in the Quad Cities.

Ann McGlynn never considered journalism as a career until after she was a sophomore at the University of Iowa. She had entered Iowa as a psychology major, but after her first year it didn’t feel right.

“My boyfriend at the time said ‘Weren’t you the editor of your high school newspaper?’ and I was. So the very next day I went down and changed my major. And I have loved it ever since.”

She had gotten that editors job without ever submitting an article. The class, called “pubs” then, was suggested by the year book advisor.

“I had fifth hour free, and she said ‘Why don’t you sign up?’ so I did and I became editor of the newspaper.”

John Marx of the Daily Dispatch also loves the work that he does on a daily basis.

“I have been able to do some many amazing things. I have met three presidents, countless famous athletes. I love my job; it has given me so much opportunity.”

McGlynn now uses those skills she learned to cover the health beat. And while health isn’t her favorite beat that she has ever covered, it’s better than her old one.

“I covered environmental issues and hated it,” McGlynn said. “I loved covering cops and courts and will still go back to that ultimately.”

McGlynn sees her beat as an important one, though.

“Health is just a huge beat right now. It is becoming so important to so many more people. People are starting to look at their lifestyles. So my goal is to help them get inspired to do something different than what they are already doing.”

McGlynn also spoke about how technology is changing her job.

“I also write a blog now. I am training for a triathlon and readers can follow my progress to see my successes and failures.”

She also has strong feelings about one of the newest additions to online journalism, comments.

“If you have something to say, put your name behind it. I would never dream of posting something on a public forum and not put my name on it. The nice part about the comments is you get immediate feedback. The bad part is that many commenters are just plain mean. But they are getting better.”

Maybe they’ll be nicer after they find the right angle.

Media Relations

Ann McGlynn, Quad City Times health reporter, is of the opinion that companies and media partnerships are “bad.” She, however, is in the minority.

In the results of a survey conducted by media writing students of 18 communication professionals conducted in April 2007, only 2 percent said that partnerships between media and corporations were bad. Of professionals surveyed 33 percent of those were of the opinion that it actually benefited the community.

“We push the line with our Friday health section. Genesis has a significant amount of advertising. It has been scaled back. It’s not so prominent. But that concerns me as a writer. But I also know that bills have to be paid. When I started as the health reporter it was the wrap and that was just abysmal to me. I hated that thing and there was no happier day in my career than when that thing went away. It’s now inside the section, which is a little bit better, but it’s still a lot,” McGlynn said.

McGlynn, however, does feel that local companies are portrayed fairly in the media and according to the survey 61 percent agree with her. This number was opposed by 11 percent who thought it could be better and 6 percent who thought there was a positive bias toward companies.

Lieutenant Don Gano is a spokesperson for the Davenport Police Department who also thinks that companies are portrayed “pretty fair.”

“The media will go on anything that they can dig up. If we try to hide something and chances are that they are going to find it,” Gano said.

Those surveyed were also asked about how the community was portrayed in the media. Only 22 percent responded well, while average and poorly received 33 percent of the vote apiece.

Shanna Manning, Communications Coordinator for DavenportOne, thought that they were positive.

“I feel that the whole community is equally represented. I would say that the downtown is focused on more because it has more happening and it is developing faster than the rest of the community.”

Those surveyed were divided equally, 50 percent men and 50 percent women. Of professionals surveyed, 67 percent were currently in journalism and another 28 percent work in the public relations field.

While it is unclear how long partnerships between media and local companies will go on, what is clear is that there will always be strong feelings about them.

Tragedy Hits Virginia Tech

On April 16, 2007 America’s eyes turned to Blacksburg, VA as a young man killed 32 students before turning the gun on himself. While the reasons for his actions may never be known, the effects are reaching all across the country. St. Ambrose University has felt the ripples along with everyone else.

Sherrie Spillman, a third generation Hokie, from SAU International Student Services department is alumni of Virginia Tech and still communicates with people there.

“They are still in shock, crisis mode and caregiver mode. They are trying to do this while still dealing with their own issues,” Spillman says.

Spillman also commented on what makes Virginia Tech special.

“It’s a larger university with around 26,000 students but still has the feel of a smaller campus. They do a good job of making it feel smaller than it actually is.”

Even students with out connections to Virginia Tech feel its impact.

“It was terrible. There was a way to prevent it because how much they knew about him.” Jessica Hansen said. Hansen is a first year student at SAU.

Different groups are trying to help survivors and the victim’s families. A number of comedians are traveling to Blacksburg to give a benefit concert and an account has been set up on Facebook to donate money.

“I’ve joined the group on Facebook. A bunch of people from my floor have,” Hansen says.

“There has been an outpouring from around the world,” Spillman agrees.

Students from SAU are also encouraged to send an email to the campus ministry to be collected and forwarded on to Virginia Tech. Rev. Chuck Adams, who collected the emails, also commented.

“So far, there have been about 40 messages. My reaction was one of sadness for the victims, their families and the Virginia Tech community,” Adams said.

Alex Backes is a senior at SAU. He has participated in building homes in David, KY with students from Virginia Tech.

“I know that often times the other schools that go to Kentucky do not have the same work ethic Ambrosians do. However, the students from Virginia Tech were one of the few groups that worked hard and truly cared about making a difference there. That makes it so sad that this massacre happened there. I know at least the group who went to David were very good people, so that makes these events so very sad to me. I feel bad for their entire university community and wish them the best as they recover.”

Eileen Eitrheim is also a graduate of Virginia Tech. She has been in contact with members of the Theater Department.

“I am proud of the administration, the local police and the counseling department. They are grateful for the outpouring of care and for the thoughts and prayers. They take comfort in the joined feelings and the services being held around the world. They are adamant about holding graduation. The victims will all receive their diplomas posthumously. They want to use graduation as a celebration of life and their accomplishments.”

Perhaps then, Hokie nation can look forward.

To donate through Facebook follow this link:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2381135729

To send a message to Virginia Tech:

mailto:ministry@sau.edu

Don't Do It

Don’t do it.

I know what you’re thinking.

Don’t do it.

I know how you feel. You’re sick and tired of being here. You constantly ask yourself “Is it over yet?”

Trust me if you don’t want to do it now; you really won’t want to do it five, 10, 15 years from now.

Of course I am talking about school. I was young once too. At 18 I knew it all and where I was going from there. I had it all mapped out. The day I graduated high school I knew what I was doing and where I was going.

Boy was I wrong.

Somewhere between the day I graduated Moline High School and the day I registered at Black Hawk College I got some crazy idea in my head that I was Donald Trump. I was tired of school anyway and was looking for the easiest path out. So I ditched my dreams in Lot 3 and signed up for a degree in business management.

Twelve years later I’m still kicking myself.

I’m now a student here at St. Ambrose and reviving the dream I left for dead so long ago. My wife is the one who told me to go back. You may not be so lucky as to have someone who will not only support you, but tell you “You’re an idiot if you don’t go.”

If you think it will be easy to come back after some time off, it won’t. I told my mom that I was going to take a year off to work and save money to go back. Well one turned into two and two became two kids and a wife. Now I have to work 40 hours a week, study for class, do homework, pay bills, give attention to my family, go to all of their functions and catch up to a generation who didn’t leave their dreams. I wasn’t a social butterfly to start with, but the fun times are few and far between now.

Scheduling and time-management have become my new buzzwords. I live out of my planner. There is no spontaneity at all. A night out with my friends always has to include a two-week notice.

I finished my associates and I am still stuck in a dead-end job with no benefits and live paycheck to paycheck. Being the assistant manager at Hot Topic may seem cool now, but it won’t seem that way later. Someone once told me the difference between a job and a career was that you can explain your career in one word, doctor, teacher, engineer, etc. A job was what you have when you need extra cash at Christmas.

Employers are looking more and more for someone who definitely has more than a high school education, and many time are seeking a candidate with a bachelors or higher.

And there is no guarantee that this opportunity will come your way again. Sure, schools will be here down the road, but life can take so many twists and turns you can’t be sure that you will cross this bridge again.

I was lucky. You may not be.

So please, stick it out. Learn from my mistakes. You won’t regret it.

VSA

Artwork from Iowans with disabilities is currently being displayed at St. Ambrose University’s O’Keefe Library. The exhibit is on display from March 24 until April 30 and features between 10 and 15 artists.

The artists use different mediums such as poetry pottery and painting to express themselves and their ideas.

“It’s always been within me this need to create. If I feel stifled, my pottery is a great release for me,” says Alan Kinsey, according to his biography.

While some have degrees and some are self-taught, the artists all have different disabilities. Yet, these artists clearly do not let their disabilities keep them from doing what they love.

“My disability is many, not one. And not one can hole me back from creating what I feel is a part of me,” Rebecca Scholl says in her biography.

Each artist has their biography set out so visitors can learn something about the people who created the pieces they see before them.

The display is part of a traveling exhibit from the VSA arts of Iowa program. The exhibit travels across Iowa helping to promote the work of these talented individuals. It came to SAU after being seen by Kathy Byers, Administrative Assistant to the Director of O’Keefe Library.

“I thought there work was amazing. It encourages everyone to try things they think they couldn’t do.”

Most of the items on display can be purchased and a list of prices is available. If someone is interested in purchasing an item they can speak to Mary Heinzman, Director of O’Keefe Library. The piece would remain on display until the end of April and then would become be turned over to the purchaser.

Byers went on to tell about one of the paintings on display. There is a painting of a watercolor set that was created by a 16-year-old boy. He had never had art lessons and never had been given the opportunity to paint.

“If it’s not his first picture its one of his first,” says Byers.

Cast out to the Deep

In the Bible, Luke Chapter 5 is a story of a group of fisherman who are convinced by Jesus to “cast out into the deep” after they have given up. The Most Reverend Timothy Dolan used this story as his basis for lecture “Cast Out to the Deep: The Call for Confidence and Holiness in Today’s Church,” he gave on April 11.

Over the course of the almost one hour speech Dolan outlined three main problems and three main solutions for today’s Catholic Church.

“The major point of my speech is that the Catholic Church of the United States is afflicted with the loss of nerve and confidence and that has quasi-paralyzed us,” Dolan said.

Dolan then went on to list his three reasons for the fatigue felt by the church.

1. Pervasive Fear – “We are scared that culture is against us, but Jesus said ‘Be not afraid.”
2. Anger – “This has lead to the subsequent division of our church. Either or has replaced both and.”
3. Lack of Joy – “There are no fish, but there certainly a lot of crabs.”

To these problems Dolan offered three solutions.

1. Return to the person of Jesus – “It all starts with a friendship with Jesus. It is the church’s job to show Jesus.”
2. Characterized Evangelical Simplicity – “We need more reliance on the basis of the Gospel.”
3. Recovery of Primacy of the Spiritual – “We need to preach, present and connect hearts to Jesus.”

During the question and answer period, the question was asked about young people’s return to the church.

“They are a brilliant light. Young people are actually calling us to renewal and they are free of ideological tags that were set on my generation as children,” Dolan said.

He then went on to tell a story of a young woman who was told by someone that she was “Pre-Vatican II”.

“She asked me ‘What’s Vatican II? I just love Jesus and want to follow his teachings,’” Dolan told the crowd.

What can a student do who wants to “Cast out into the Deep?”

“First things first,” Dolan says. “Listen to Jesus. Know him. Love him. Talk to him. Confide in him. Everything else will flow after that. From there it will be contagious.”

Throughout the speech Dolan mixed humor and enthusiasm to make his points. Before he began his speech he commented on the event being held in the next room.

“They are holding an etiquette dinner next door and it would be impolite for you to snore through this lecture,” Dolan joked.

There were only a handful of students in the crowd of roughly 150. One of the other attendees was St. Ambrose University President Dr. Ed Rogalski.

“I thought Archbishop Dolan gave a wonderful presentation. He brought the church back to base. It all comes back to our basic faith and he delivered it very well.”

National Library Week comes to St. Ambrose

O’Keefe Library will host its National Library Week celebration April 15-21. Events will be held throughout the week to help highlight the library’s uniqueness.

“National Library week is designed to draw attention to what kinds of things that a library can do,” says Mary Heinzman, library director.

Evening reference librarian Syl Rex agrees.

“My favorite part of library week is the spotlight it shines on libraries and their importance.”

Rex goes on to tell about that importance.

“Libraries are a repository for a body of knowledge. They are the access point to wisdom.”

Library week will feature old favorites and new offerings. Traditions that will return include cookie day and the paper airplane contest.

New features will include a hip hop dance performance by the SAU Hip Hop Club and the new “READ” posters. Another new addition will be an “add-a-line poem” that will be started by the library and each person that comes in can add a line to.

The week will kick off with the annual cookie day. Cookies, trail mix and candy will be available to anyone who visits the library on Monday. Wednesday will bring the fourth annual paper airplane contest. And Friday will close the week with prizes being drawn after people have registered all week.

“Prizes will be awarded for the airplane that stays in the air the longest. The one that flies the longest distance, the most creative and we will have a judge’s choice category,” Heinzman said. “The first year we had 3 people participate. Last year we had 25 to 30 entrants, and we are expecting an even bigger turnout this year.” The contest is slated to start at 2:30 p.m.

The new “READ” posters will be unveiled also during National Library Week. While the actual people on the posters won’t be revealed until the unveiling Heinzman did provide some small hints.

“There will be six faculty/staff members. There will be six students individually and then two more groups of students.”

There will be a contest for students to find all of the “READ” posters on campus. Anyone wanting to play can pick up and entry form in the library. Then they can fill out the forms and return it.

One of the things library week does is allowing libraries to highlight services that are overlooked or underused, such as Media Services.

“A lot of people don’t know we have it and the best part of it is that it is free,” tells Heinzman.

Prizes to be given away include SAU T-shirts, bookstore and coffee shop gift certificates, and a basket containing various books. Smaller prizes such as SAU socks and hats will also be given away. The drawing will be held at noon.

National Library week runs for one week every April, usually around midmonth.

Don't do it.

Don’t do it.

I know what you’re thinking.

Don’t do it.

I know how you feel. You’re sick and tired of being here. You constantly ask yourself “Is it over yet?”

Trust me if you don’t want to do it now; you really won’t want to do it five, 10, 15 years from now.

Of course I am talking about school. I was young once too. At 18 I knew it all and where I was going from there. I had it all mapped out. The day I graduated high school I knew what I was doing and where I was going.

Boy was I wrong.

Somewhere between the day I graduated Moline High School and the day I registered at Black Hawk College I got some crazy idea in my head that I was Donald Trump. I was tired of school anyway and was looking for the easiest path out. So I ditched my dreams in Lot 3 and signed up for a degree in business management.

Twelve years later I’m still kicking myself.

I’m now a student here at St. Ambrose and reviving the dream I left for dead so long ago. My wife is the one who told me to go back. You may not be so lucky as to have someone who will not only support you, but tell you “You’re an idiot if you don’t go.”

If you think it will be easy to come back after some time off, it won’t. I told my mom that I was going to take a year off to work and save money to go back. Well one turned into two and two became two kids and a wife. Now I have to work 40 hours a week, study for class, do homework, pay bills, give attention to my family, go to all of their functions and catch up to a generation who didn’t leave their dreams. I wasn’t a social butterfly to start with, but the fun times are few and far between now.

Scheduling and time-management have become my new buzzwords. I live out of my planner. There is no spontaneity at all. A night out with my friends always has to include a two-week notice.

I finished my associates and I am still stuck in a dead-end job with no benefits and live paycheck to paycheck. Being the assistant manager at Hot Topic may seem cool now, but it won’t seem that way later. Someone once told me the difference between a job and a career was that you can explain your career in one word, doctor, teacher, engineer, etc. A job was what you have when you need extra cash at Christmas.

Employers are looking more and more for someone who definitely has more than a high school education, and many time are seeking a candidate with a bachelors or higher.

And there is no guarantee that this opportunity will come your way again. Sure, schools will be here down the road, but life can take so many twists and turns you can’t be sure that you will cross this bridge again.

I was lucky. You may not be.

So please, stick it out. Learn from my mistakes. You won’t regret it.

Learning the Trade

It was standing room only on Thursday, March 15 as St. Ambrose University offered a journalism workshop for aspiring writers from local colleges in The Buzz office. The workshop featured reporters from the Quad-City Times and headed by Mark Ridolfi, opinion editor.

Ann McGlynn, health reporter, gave a 15-minute speech on tips and techniques she has picked up over the years. The main point of McGlynn’s speech was to never leave an interview without knowing what your lead for your story will be.

Following McGlynn’s speech, participants had to choose between four forums: opinion writing with Barb Ickes, special projects/multi-part stories with Sheena Dooley, photography with John Schultz and headline writing with Ridolfi.

“It’s important to speak to journalism students because they are our future. We are developing folks to carry on the tradition,” Ridolfi said. “Student journalism at the basics is the same as what we do. The differences lie in the skill level, but most young journalists balance that out with enthusiasm.”

The Buzz office was filled with not only journalism students from SAU, but Augustana sent three people and Black Hawk College also sent two representatives.

“Last semester Augustana hosted a similar event. We wanted to strengthen the inter-collegiate bonds between the journalism programs and give students a chance to ask ‘real’ reporters questions. Journalism is a craft best learned by experience and it’s valuable to discuss methods and theories with veterans of the profession,” says Christine Mastalio, editor-in-chief of The Buzz.

Katie Voelliger, news editor of The Buzz agrees.

“I learned so much valuable information and concepts were brought to my attention that I never have thought of before. The only thing I didn’t like was the shortness on time. I felt time went by way too quickly, but I guess that happens when you’re learning and having fun!”

Ridolfi also commented on what current graduates currently lack when they leave school.

“They lack a breadth of understanding and a level of confidence to ask the hard questions. They lack life experience and the ability to pursue with the questions they want answered and not get waylaid by the person that they are interviewing.”

No further workshops are scheduled for this academic year.

Riding the Wave

The St. Ambrose men's volleyball team look to ride their wave all the way to nationals after winning the Spring Break Tournament in Leesburg, FL.

“There was some really good competition in that tournament,” first year head coach Bill Gleeson said.

To win the tournament The Bees had to defeat #7 Eastern Mennonite, #11 Nazareth and #10 Warner Southren.

“The guys played like they wanted it more. They never thought they were going to lose,” Gleeson continues.

One thing is certain, the key to their winning ways is their youthful enthusiasm, with 10 of the 18 players being sophomores.

“We are always the loudest team in the gym,” senior co-captain Jim Finn explains. “Our youth helps us. We have more exuberance. We really are playing for fun.”

Freshman Jason Paplaski agrees.

“There is a lot of young guys, so we have a lot of fun. We get to really bond and we don't leave anyone out. Coach Gleeson does a good job with team bonding and keeping everyone involved.”

Gleeson is Finn's third coach in four years. Finn explains how Gleeson is different from the others.

“His number one priority is coaching mens volleyball. Our practices are more structured. He is there for us both on and off the court. His love for the game and his love for the team really shows.”

“Because he's younger he's all about the players,” Paplaski concurs. “He's the best motivational speaker I've had as a coach. He worries more about the team than outside stuff.”

And that “outside stuff” may include a trip to the nationals. The top six teams get to go and SAU is currently positioned at number six. This is the highest that the men's team has ever been ranked and is currently one win away from the most wins in school history. After last year's 8-22 record that is quite a turnaround.

“Last year we finished 8-22, but we were in every game. We were losing them because of experience. Now with that year under our belts, we are winning those games,” Gleeson acknowledges.

And experience is one of his goals for this year.

“My goals are to develop this team and get them more experience. I want them to take each game one by one and not overlook teams. I want to have them grow in confidence and reduce their errors. In volleyball is all comes down to the errors. If your team makes less than the team on the other side of the net, nine out of 10 times you are going to win. Then I hope we win the conference championship, which we host. From there, we would have a good shot to go on to nationals.”

The conference tournament is scheduled for March 30 and 31 and will be played at Lee Lohman Arena.

Getting Jazzy

Playing to a crowd of about 30 people, the St. Ambrose University Jazz Combos packed an hour with a mixture of jazz styles from some of the biggest names in jazz music. With selections from greats such as Horace Silver, Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington the concert covered different flavors of jazz including swing, traditional, and hard bop.

Both bands ended their sets with numbers that allowed their members to showcase their talents through solos. The SAU Dixieland Band finished with “Perdido” and the SAU Jazz Combo sent the audience home with a rendition of “The Preacher” by Horace Silver.

The Redstone Room at the River Music Experience was candlelit with red and white candles giving the room a cabaret look right out of a movie. Audience member Joanna Green found the room warm and pleasant.

“It was really romantic. I loved the candles on the tables and the wonderful music in the air.”

The jazz combos are actually split into two different bands, the SAU Dixieland Band and the SAU Jazz Combo. Each performed for roughly 25 minutes with a two minute intermission in between.

According to Tait Hillmer, percussionist, the jazz combos didn’t always play jazz.

“When I was a freshman, we were a big band group, but there wasn’t enough interest. In the spring semester of 2005 we changed to the jazz combos.”

Director Eugene Bechen spoke about the differences between the two groups.

“Our Dixieland group is made up of musicians that are new or have not had as much exposure. We use it kind of like our basic training, because if you can get the hang of Dixieland, the more modern stuff actually becomes easier.”

“I give the jazz combo pretty much total autonomy. They make good decisions about the music they play. If they are picking the music they are going to get a lot more out of it. It gives them more responsibility, but the stakes are a lot higher.”

The SAU Jazz Combos will play again Saturday February 24, 2007 at 7:30 pm in Allaert Auditorium in the Galvin Fine Arts Center on the campus of SAU.

The Redstone Room houses between 225 and 250 people and was opened in 2006. It is on the top floor of the River Music Experience in downtown Davenport, Iowa.

Krueger Confidential

Melissa Krueger is a first year softball player at St. Ambrose University. She is a right-handed pitcher with a deep repertoire of pitches. She throws a fastball, changeup, a slow curve, a rise-ball, drop-ball, screwball, and a regular curve that she considers her best pitch. When she is in the field, she swings from the right side and plays second base. She grew up in Illinois City, Ill., and graduated from Rockridge High School.

Krueger is a physical therapy major. She became interested after visiting her grandfather in the hospital.

“I thought it was interesting. Most people get into it after being hurt,” she says. “I was lucky. I’ve never been hurt.”

As for life at SAU, it is much different than she expected.

“I come from a small town. I had imagined it was one big party. I thought it would be all lectures in an auditorium. Everyone here takes it seriously.”

Kruger goes on to say why she picked SAU.

“I wanted to go to a place where my parents could come watch me play. This is far enough away from home so that I feel that I’m on my own, but yet close enough to go home when I want. I like how it’s small & everyone here is so nice.”

Home is very important to Krueger as she expressed her desire to move back to Illinois City later on. She lists her parents among her heroes, along with her high school softball coach.

Krueger and her family live on a 169 acre farm, which has five horses, two dogs and two cats. Both cats were strays that were rescued by Krueger and her family.

Meet Mushtaq

Mushtaq Khan is the new professor of microbiology at St. Ambrose University. He comes to St. Ambrose after spending the last 16 years teaching in Saudi Arabia.

Khan specialized in biotechnology, specifically in plant diseases and breeding. His tasks in Saudi Arabia were to establish labs and greenhouses and build up the agricultural department. “Development of agriculture is important in Saudi Arabia, because it is very difficult to make things grow in the desert,” Khan states.

Khan was born in India and graduated from the University of India. He came to the United States in 1970. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin--Madison in 1996. He spent the next year working in Madison.

Khan spoke of the similarities and differences between Saudi and American education.

“They have highly paid professors and their students still receive a poor education. There is no competition. No challenge. Their jobs are fixed and they are spoon fed everything. I would be interested to see how a Saudi Arabian student would fare in an American university.”

Saudi Arabia actually spends more money, per student, than the United States. They receive free boarding, free parking and their meals only cost a dollar, Khan states.

Khan says he likes working at St. Ambrose University. He says he prefers working at a smaller school with smaller classes giving him more contact with his students.

“30 to 35 students is about the perfect size.”

In his spare time professor Khan enjoys table tennis, soccer and building computers.

“I have become obsessed,” he states.

Men's basketball sizzles this season




The men's basketball team has been hot recently. Winners of nini of their last 13 games, the Fighting Bees are looking strong despite a rash of injuries and illnesses.

"One of our traditions here is we peak in the second half of the season," Coach Ray Shovlain said.

The Bees played a tough early season schedule with 11 of their first 15 opponenets being ranked in NAIA Divison I or II. Things should ease up for them while they finish with four or their last six games at home.

The turning point for the season seemed to be at the St. Xavier Midwest Classic in Chicago. The Bees defeated S. Gregory and St. Francis before snapping St. Xavier's 12 game winning streak in the championship game.

Senior Brandon Mays credits the key to the team's recent success to the coaching staff.

"The coaching staff has been making key in-game and half-time adjustments, as well as concentrating on our free-throw shooting," Mays said.

Shovlain shines the spotlight on the players.

"We've got a quality group of young men here," Shovlain said.

"I think as long as we stay positive and keep healthy, we have put ourselves in contention for the second half (of the season). If we shoot the ball as well as we are capable of, we have a good chance to win our games."

Shovlain went on to say that several key members of the team has missed several games, including Alex Burkle wo is going to miss the rest of the regular season.

He hopes to have him back for the playoffs.

St. Ambrose defeated Viterbo University in their last road game 78-70. Led by Brett Cole's 19 points and Adam Fahrenkrog's seven rebounds, The Bees hung on in the closing moments to seal the victory after Viterbo made a late push.

Review of Markings

Markings is a deeply personal book by Dag Hammarskjold. It is a collections of thoughts and poems of his relationship with God. He is a firm believer in God. The book encompasses several decades spanning from 1925 to 1961, with the last entry written mere weeks before his death.

Dag Hammarskjold was the second Secretary General of the United Nations, serving from 1953 until his death in 1961. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest Secretary General's that have been in charge of the United Nations. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize posthumously in 1961.

Hammarskjold has three main themes in his book. The first is his devotion to God. The second is clearly his duties and responsibilities and how he feels that burden. The third is death. Throughout the book Hammarskjold is constantly contemplating his own death, many times looking forward to it eagerly.

The first theme, Hammarskjold's devotion to God, is the central theme of the book. He faith in the lord's power is unquestioning, which is nicely contrasted to his own. Hammarskjold seems to have an overriding sense of inadequacy, despite the historical record of his intelligence and diplomacy. He wonders if he is being devout enough, and questions whether he believes, because that is what makes him happy or God happy. There are many quotes of scripture throughout the Markings, usually adapted as inspiration for the following poem or as reference to some thought.

Hammarskjold's second theme is that of duty. He sees it his duty to completely devote his life to his job and his God. He even goes so far as to state that he must only have superficial friendships so as not to show favoritism to one party or another. He felt that it was a public servant's duty to sacrifice. He must give wholly of himself to the people he served otherwise he was not doing the job he was elected for. Similarly, he felt the same way about his devotion to God. Hammarskjold gave himself completely to his faith. I could find no record of Hammarskjold ever being married, except of his soul being married to God. “Faith is the marriage of God and the Soul. In that case, certainty of God's omnipotence through the soul: with God all things are possible, because faith can move mountains.” He also seemed to be forever on a vigil against false vanity and humility. “Vanity rears its ridiculous little head and holds up the distorting mirror in front of you. For an instant, the play actor adjusts his smile and his features to the role. For a mere instant – but one too many. It is at such times that you invite defeat and betray him whom you serve.”

His third theme is that of his own death. This subject was explored all through the book, not just in the last few chapters as one would expect. Hammarskjold seems preoccupied with his own mortality, whether it is from depression or some morbid fascination is unclear, but it is clearly evident amid the whole book. He starts many chapters with the phrase “Night is drawing nigh-” showing a feeling of impending doom. Hammarskjold writes about his emptiness and loneliness in almost every chapter, with these emotions becoming a recurring theme in his life. Here is a man whose face and deeds are known the world over in his life time, yet no one seems to understand his personal pain that he puts himself through.

This book is probably not for the casual reader. In fact, Markings is definitely for the advanced reader with a love of history or world politics. This book is highly specialized. If you simply want a look into one man's thoughts on God than you will enjoy this book. If you don't fit into this criteria, you may want to find another selection.

Subscription based media – Podcasts and RSS Feeds

Do you have a favorite website, blogger, or internet radio program? Are you tired of checking their website everyday to see if there is something new? Then you need to check to see if your favorite website offers an RSS feed. An RSS feed enables large amounts of people to simultaneously receive information. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and is at its base, a subscription based news source. Every time a site updates its content it sends notification via RSS. The end user receives a link that takes them to the new information.

People can receive their RSS feeds through their web browsers, email applications or even their homepage from some internet service providers, such as Yahoo.

According to the 2005 Yahoo white paper “RSS – Crossing into the Mainstream” out of all internet users 4% knowingly use RSS feeds. Surprisingly 25% of users unknowingly use RSS feeds. Many times this is how the information on the homepage is updated.

Similarly, you can subscribe to audio or video blogs called podcasts. Podcasts are programs that you can listen to on your own terms via the internet. The term podcast comes from combining broadcasting and iPod. Examples of podcasts include national radio and television shows, public radio broadcasts, and specialized shows that would not make their way onto mainstream media.

The beauty of podcasts is that they are extremely portable. As long as you have an iPod or some other type of mp3 player you can take your podcast with you wherever you want and listen at your convenience. They also give a voice to people who may not get airtime on a more traditional broadcast set-up. Podcasts are similar to magazines in the way that they are designed for niche markets, not for the general public. For example, if your hobby is poker, you will have a hard time finding a radio or television show outside of Las Vegas or Atlantic City discussing strategy and poker news. However, thanks to podcasting, there are multiple shows discussing game theory, strategy, tips, techniques, and news about the sport.

June 2005 Apple comes into the podcast market and starts the podcasting boom. This gave credibility to the genre. By having Apple join the fray, the technology got a boost of name recognition and consumer confidence. The easiest way to find the most popular podcasts is to go iTunes and search through their lists.

Generally podcasts are made up of digital media. This makes them easy to convert into the mp3 format that is required for the portability feature.

Both podcasts and RSS feeds allow users to keep current on their favorite sites with very little effort.

The Blogging Revolution

At the forefront of the Web 2.0 experience is blogging. Blogs are generally more personal than traditional media outlets. Many times the author is not writing to deliver information, but merely to state their views. With the creation of the web and specifically open source programming making your point of view known has become extremely easy.

Blogging has become a pastime for many want to be journalists. A blog is basically an online diary, sometimes public, sometimes private. The term “blog” is generally considered to have been coined by Eric Zorn of the Chicago Tribune in an article making fun of another writer in a competing paper.

Anyone can have a blog. All that is required of you generally is a username, password, and an email address. Within minutes you will be blogging. Most blog sites are free, giving just about anyone with an internet connection a voice.

This voice is main point of controversy about blogging in general. Since there is no censorship on the internet, unless you are professionally blogging for a news outlet or other business means that anyone can say anything about anyone or anything else. Many political activists feel that the opposing parties use blogs to either bash their views or corrupt the truth. Blogs that are “amateur” by nature many times do not take the time to check their facts. They simply post their own views and that is where the point of contention comes from. Many opponents of a given blog will cite incorrect information as their main defense.

Blogs have also started to creep into office politics. Some employers are now writing amendments to their employee handbooks stating that among other things that using company emails in personal blogs are an offense punishable up to and including termination.

Blogs have many everyday uses. Teachers can use them to keep students up to date on class scheduling. Dad’s Club and Little League can use them to keep everyone in the league informed of standings, results and rule changes. Families that are separated by large distances can use blogs to keep other members of the family updated on current events. Business can capitalize on blogs to keep employees current on rapidly changing situations, or post job openings. Of course, people can also use them as diaries, a place to vent their personal feelings about many particular subjects, or work on their skills as a writer.

Many media outlets are also using blogs as editorial pieces. This allows reporters to give more of their own personal opinions about stories than they would be afforded either on the newscast or in an article. It also allows more reporters to give opinions on current events.

Blogs have been around since the mid-1990s. Justin Hall of Pennsylvania is generally regarded as one of the earliest bloggers. In July of 1999 Andrew Smales launched the first blog site Pitas.com. Then in August of 1999 Blogger.com was developed by Evan Williams, Paul Bausch, and Meg Houriham.

In 1999 there were mere dozens of bloggers on the internet, while today there are several million. Blogging’s popularity has mushroomed recently thanks to sites like Myspace and Blogger. Blogs are not just limited to a computer either. Blogger.com now offers a service that allow you to keep up with you blog through your cell phone.

Written blogs are merely one way people record their thoughts. Video blogs, such as YouTube allow people who are more visually oriented the same type of expressive freedom. Audio blogs, known as podcasts are also widely available. Podcasts will be discussed more at length in next week’s article.